The Vice Principal Problem (Blue Stars #1)

Estranged cousins--Riley Halfmoon, who is of Muscogee heritage, and bespectacled Maya Dawn, who is Black--reunite in Urbanopolis to live with their community-centered activist grandmother as they prepare to enter sixth grade. While adjusting, they both experience a few hiccups along the way. Extroverted Riley is eager to befriend her cousin, whom she hasn't seen since early childhood. Reserved Maya, on the other hand, wants to maintain her privacy and focus on her inventions. When they learn that a lack of funding is jeopardizing beloved school activities, the cousins each run for class president. But nefarious vice principal Mr. Balderdash seems intent on stemming their efforts and landing them in detention. As it becomes clear that the cousins won't accomplish anything on their own, Maya and Riley team up, Holmes and Watson style, to win the presidency, take down Mr. Balderdash, and save their school. Bustling slice-of-life plot beats by Magoon (Chester Keene Cracks the Code) and Smith (Harvest House), paired with animated art by debut illustrator Murakami, culminates in a realistically rendered and impeccably paced graphic novel series opener that accessibly highlights the importance of youth involvement in local politics. Ages 8-12. (Mar.)

Gr 4 Up--Riley Halfmoon and Maya Dawn are cousins who have very different personalities. This never made a difference until they both moved to Urbanopolis to live with their grandmother, and their personalities began to clash. Riley is used to being part of a big Muscogee family in Oklahoma and makes lots of friends on the gymnastics team. Maya is used to living with her parents on an Air Force base and doesn't mind being one of the only members of the robotics club. Riley and Maya soon find themselves united by two things: The first is that they each have different sentimental reasons for loving blue stars; the second is their dislike of Vice Principal Balderdash, an over-the-top bad guy who wants to cut everything they love, such as after-school programs and the school library, out of the budget. This story has layers that will appeal to many different kinds of readers. It's a sweet and thoughtful story about military families, friendship, and girls learning to trust each other. At the same time, it evolves into a weird and funny adventure as the girls scheme to combine their strengths and reveal their vice principal's diabolical plans to the world. Murakami's cute and cartoony artwork pops with color and will hook readers into the excitement of the story. VERDICT A thoughtful, funny, and memorable story about family, friendship, and cooperation. Purchase for all middle grade collections.--Andrea Lipinski